Bullet-shield and protector.



J. MATUSEK.

BULLET SHIELD AND PROTECTOR. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31. 1911.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

FIG. 2.

JOHN MATUSEK, 0F WHI'IING, INDIANA.

BULLET-SHIELD AND PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed October 31, 1917. Serial No. 199,535.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MATUsnK, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Whiting, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bullet-Shields and Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bullet shield and protector.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a fold-able device readily carried by soldiers for quickly positioning upon the ground as a barrier for protecting the soldiers against the bullets of the enemy, while permitting the soldier to shoot at the enemy while protected in this manner.

A further object of th device is the provision of a barrier arranged for deflecting the bullets of the enemy without injuring the device or the soldiers positioned behind the same, the arrangement being such that a movable portion only of the device receives the impact of any oncoming bullet.

A still further object of the device is to provide a bullet deflector of light weight and foldable arrangement having a supporting portion for a soldier as well as means for protecting the soldier against bullets, although att'ording a position of advantage for firing upon the enemy.

in the drawing forming a part of this application and in which like reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a side elevation of the device set up for use.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the frame work of the device.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a central hinged portion thereof.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the top plates detached.

Fig. (3 is a perspective View of one of the other plates employed with the device, and

Fig. 7 shows a different form of resilient top plate.

It being desirable to protect foot soldiers whether armed with rifles or machine guns from the bullets of the enemy during an engagement, my device 10 is provided having a base 11 for resting upon the ground to support the soldier while a shield portion 12 is forwardly hinged thereto for deflecting and stopping oncoming missiles.

The base 11 may be in the form of a rectangular board or sheet metal as desired while the shield 12 includes a frame 13 having a plurality of parallel bars 14 hinged as at 15 to the forward edge 16 of the base 11. A cross bar 17 is connected between the free upper ends of the bars 14 while curved plates 18 are arranged overlying the bars 17 and hinged by means of lugs 19 to the projecting ends 20 of the bars 14. It will be seen that one of the plates 18 is swingingly mounted in this manner between each pair of parallel bars 1a with the curved end portion 21 of each plate extending rearwardly over the cross bar 17 and with the main portion of the plate arranged forwardly of the frame 13, while the said frame is arranged forwardly inclined in its operative position as best illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing.

A two-part folding strut 22 is arranged for each side of the device being pivoted at one end as at 23 to the opposite sides of the frame 13 while its opposite end is arranged with a hook 2% adapted for engaging one of a plurality of pins 25 carried by the adjacent edge of the base 11 and whereby th shield 12 is maintained inclined at the desired adjustment. The struts 22 may be readily released and folded and the shield 12then folded upon the base 11 affording a compact arrangement when it is desired to carry the device from one place to another.

Plain plates 26 are arranged in courses beneath the plates 18 swingingly positioned between the bars 14 by means of suitable rods 27 carried by an end bead 28 provided upon the plate 26 and engaging alining perforations 29 in the opposite bars 14. A'port hole 30 is arranged through the shield 12 at any desired point such as substantially centrally thereof,'the same being formed by cutting away portions such as 31 of two of the adjacently positioned plates 26.

It will be seen that any oncoming bullet hitting the upper curved portions of the top plates 18 will be deflected upwardly while upon striking the depending portions of any of the plates 18 or 26, the said plates will swing inwardly causing the missile to be deflected downwardly passing over the adjacent plates until it reaches the ground as 32. The soldier positioned upon the base 11 of the device will have the shield 12 in front of him for his protection but may readily shoot through the port hole 30. By swinging the plates 26 either inwardly or outwardly in which the cut away portions 31 are provided, the area for the entrance of bullets through the openings 30 may be greatly lessened as will be understood that when such plates 26 are positioned nearly horizontally, the opening 30 would not be accessible from a point forwardly of the device.

A serviceable bullet shield is arranged in which the striking of missiles upon any single one of the plates 18 or 26 will not injure nor influence any of the other armor plates whilev all oncoming' missiles will be deflected and rendered harmless to the soldier employing the device, although he may fire upon the enemy by positioning his gun through the openings 30.

The plates 18 and 26 are formed of resilient metal and will readily yield upon being struck by a missile, so that the plates may be rigidly attached to the frame 13 and still be capable of swinging yielding movement. In either event, the plate will be pressed inwardly toward the frame 13 when engaged upon their forward faces by oncoming bullets, thus retarding the travel of the bullets, which will not penetrate the plate but will fall downwardly to the ground. A plate 18 of the form shown in Fig. 7 may be employed instead of the plates 18 and in this form the goose neck 21 of the plate 18 provides greater resiliency to the mounting of the plate which is rigidly attached as at 20 to the tops of the bars 14.

WVhat I claim as new is 1. A shield for bullets comprising a base, a frame hinged to one end of the base, a plurality of armor plates swingingly carried by the frame and normally positioned vertically, and retaining means detachably connected between the frame and base.

2. A protector comprising a base, a frame hinged to the forward edge thereof and including a plurality of parallel bars, connecting means between the base and frame, whereby the frame is normally arranged obliquely with respect to the base projecting forwardly thereof, curved plates hinged to the upper free ends of the bars overlying the top of the frame and a plurality of plates arranged in courses hinged between the adjacent bars of the frame, all of the said plates depending in swinging parallelism forwardly of the frame when the device is set up for use.

3. A protector comprising a base, a frame carried by the forward end thereof and a plurality of armor plates yieldingly carried by the frame in parallel relations with each other and in overlapping arrangement and adjustable connections between the frame and base.

4. In combination with a frame adapted for normally positioning at an inclination with the ground when in use and including a plurality of parallel bars with a cross bar at the top of the frame, plates swingingly mounted upon the upper free ends of the bars with curved upper portions rearwardly projecting over the said cross bar, rows of plates hinged between said parallel bars in spaced overlapping arrangement, all the said plates being normally positioned vertically adapted for swinging movement toward the frame upon being hit by an oncoming missile.

5. A device of the class described comprising a base, a frame hinged thereto, a plurality of plates swingingly carried by the frame in overlapping arrangement, adjacent ones of said overlapping plates having cut away portions forming an opening adapted for shooting therethrough and variable in its exposed area from a point forwardly of the device during the swinging movement of the said cut away plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN MATUSEK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

